Reflection
by Can'tBeatCandor
Summary: Pretty and perfect; the two go hand in hand. I mean, you can hardly be "Perfect" if you're not beautiful... Right? Rylie (daughter of Aphrodite and Poseidon) and her twin sister Blake (daughter of Aphrodite and Zeus) are back with this sequel to "Broken" and companion to Queenbee19's "Perfection" Please enjoy and leave reviews! :)
1. Mirror, Mirror

_I look into the mirror_

_And yet what do I see?_

_A frayed and broken image_

_Of the girl who once was me_

_But my path's become so twisted_

_Not sure which road to take_

_My heart I can't decipher_

_Yet the choice is mine to make._

_So innocent I was_

_Filled with life and glee_

_How full of song and love_

_The girl who once was me_

_But now all paths have shattered_

_And shards lodge in my heart_

_No one left to turn too_

_I feel I've come apart_

_But looking in the mirror_

_I can almost see_

_If I squint my eyes and turn my head_

_The girl who once was me_

_-Rylie Conner_

I pick my head up from the page as my alarm goes off. It's 5:30am… and I'm supposed to be getting up. The only problem; I never slept. Sighing, I close my diary and walk over to my vanity. It's a beautiful piece of furniture; matching with my sleigh bed and nightstand in a rich dark mahogany. The mirror is a 4.5x3.5 frame that I keep spotless; no dust to disturb my already imperfect reflection. Taking my poems advice, I tilt my head slightly to the left and squint my eyes in concentration; looking past the reflection_. Is she still there? That girl who ran and played with golden ribbons in her hair? Because I can't see her at all._ I think to myself_. This girl with the purple bags under her eyes and the mousy hair that needs a wash? Who is she? This girl with the breakable arms and the self-esteem problems? What is her name? Rylie Conner wouldn't starve herself to "fit in." Rylie Conner wouldn't cake on makeup to cover-up her insecurity. Rylie Conner wouldn't-_ But Rylie Conner has. But now the question remains; with anorexia aside, the make-up gone and my fancy words taken away, _what's left of me?_ **Who am I? **Because I'm certainly not Rylie Conner anymore.


	2. Makeup Time

Blake and I both met up in my cabin, we would've met in the Aphrodite cabin, but we wanted our outfits to be a surprise for our sisters. It's January 5th.

"Okay, so how excited are you on a scale of one to insanity?" I looked over to Blake, who was glowing in her pajamas.

"Insanity, and beyond." I smiled excitedly, clutching the garment bag with my dress tightly. It's my 18th birthday today, Blake's too, but it was mine first. Blake grins at me, holding her own dress reverently. We each had our dresses custom made, and we haven't seen each other's yet. "Okay, what's first? Hair, makeup, chocolate…?" I begin to ramble on, trying not to over-focus on the fact that I'm turning 18, and that there will be a party. A party where people look at me. A lot of people.

Laughing, Blake walks over to my chocolate stash and grabs us each numerous pieces. "Enjoy now," she warns, "we can't eat once we're all dresses up."

"I know." Sighing sadly, I grab a bar of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate. I wish it was safe to eat in ball gowns… but saying that my dress alone had been $17,976.84 with tax, it was hard to rationalize eating something that might spill on the satin.

"So… do you think the guys will remember to dress odd? I mean, like, should I have laid something out for Michael?" she teases while grabbing herself a minibar of milk chocolate.

"Probably." I force myself to laugh at her joke, not really wanting to talk about boys, especially Michael.

"Well we can only hope the guys will look as good as us girls." Blake decides confidently, opening her 3rd minibar of chocolate.

"Please… Tonight nobody can touch us, well mostly you, but I'll look ok." I smile encouragingly at the "pretty twin." She never missed an opportunity to be complimented. She just liked being told she was pretty; and I don't blame her. I would've liked being told I was pretty too; but I don't like being lied too.

"You mean that _you'll_ look amazing, and I'll look ok." She humbly replies, making me laugh.

Deciding to change to topic, I return to my original question, "Makeup, dresses, and then hair?" I suggest.

"Good plan." Blake nods, finishing her 4th minibar. "I need to stop eating." I smile at her, it's probably the nerves. Or the baby, I've had cravings since Day One of pregnancy. Well... Maybe that's an exaggeration, but I've definitely had cravings.

"Are we doing each other's makeup or our own?" I ask, wheeling over my giant cream-and-royal-blue makeup kit.

"Each other's," Blake decides with a smile, "Like makeovers." She giggles, reaching behind her for the pink rolling case that contains her monstrous supply of makeup. "Ok let's do it, you first?" she offers.

"Kk." I smile at her, taking a seat in the swivel chair next to my vanity. I know that I'm in good hands, so I close my eyes and let Blake worry about fixing my complexion.

"Ok, so, like, are you excited to know what you're the goddess of?" Blake asks excitedly, she obviously believes that it'll happen tonight. I decide to play along.

"Excited? I'm so beyond excited… I'm about to die!" I laugh, momentarily forgetting that I'm supposed to keep my face still. "Oh, right, sorry." I whisper, straightening out.

"I know, we've been waiting 18 years for this… I can't believe we're 18." There's awe in her voice, and I can hardly blame her. I feel like just yesterday we were 15 and walking into camp that fateful August 3rd.

"I'm still not over being 17…" I confess, "18 seems like a far-off dream."

"And before you know it we'll be 21, and 30, and then 100." Blake shrugs, age is just a number. After all, what is a silly number to an immortal goddess? "Do you think Mom will show up?"

"We'll see… I guess…" I sigh, not wanting to build my hopes up. It wasn't often the gods left Olympus.

Blake catches my mood and changes topics, "I can't wait for everyone to see you." She gushes, applying powder under my eyes.

"I can't wait to eat cake." I admit; pregnancy makes me hungry, and cranky, and tired, and lazy…

"No cake until a half-hour after it's cut. You don't want to look too hungry at your own party! Plus frosting can be messy." She decrees flatly

Laughing, I ignore the pang in my chest that comes every time she criticizes me. "You always were better at following those fashion rules."

"How could I not follow those rules, I don't seem to follow any others…" Blake grins.

"Oh, of course not, Blake. Who wants to follow silly camp rules like 'no feeding people to gian monsters.' I mean, where's the fun in that?" I tease sarcastically, loving the feeling of actually saying something with meaning. Loving the feeling of being Rylie Conner again; not the sad excuse for a teenager I've been acting like.

"Do you know how many people I wouldn't mind feeding to a giant monster?" Blake laughs. Thinking again of Michael, I smirk.

"I can think of a few people myself." As if she could read my mind, Blake quickly interjects.

"Good thing you're a nice little Rylie and follow that rule…" she winks at me, "All done." Standing back proudly she gestures for me to stand, "Your turn to do me!" she sings out, sitting down the swivel chair designed and placed especially for the purpose of makeovers.


	3. Dance Like Nobody's Watching

1…2…3… I unzipped my garment bag, revealing the custom-made dress that I had designed myself. Blake's dress catches my breath, a blush pink gown with beautiful beading around the top and an intricately sewn bottom.

"Rylie, yours is so pretty!" Blake gasps; confusion clear on her face. My dress probably isn't what she expected, a modern take on old-style ball gowns in cream and rose coloring.

"Mine? Look at yours! It's so gorgeous!" I exclaim, hers is gorgeous, but mine is perfect for me.

"Let's just agree; they're both amazing?" she smiles, knowing what I know; we each prefer our own masterpieces.

"Agreed." I giggle, hopped up on chocolate and excitement for the party. And then it's time.

"BLAKE and RYLIE!" A voice announces from nowhere, and I hear everyone inside the magically-created ball room grow silent. Of course Blake's name is first, not like birth order matters…

My arm entwined with Blake we walk together into the room as everyone awkwardly applauds, I don't blame them. Who would want to applaud me? It looks amazing. We look ok. Well, Blake looks amazing. I look, well, like me. I hear a Devyn let out a whoop from somewhere in the sea of people. There are more people here than campers… I swear Blake invited all of Olympus… and all the Nymphs... And Satyrs... And Centaurs... Oh gods there are a lot of people looking at me. Judging me.

"Woo! Looking good ladies!" Andrew calls out. I stifle a small smile at Warner's twin brother's boyfriend. It's hard not to love someone as openly gay as Andrew.

Suddenly, the clapping stops and the room lets out a collective gasp. My dad has arrived. On the stage.

"HEY?" he yells out, deafeningly loud. Poseidon glances around, confused. "Oh wait… You can all hear me? Good. I have an announcement."

"Holy sh*t." I hear Andrew whisper

"Oh my Gods…" I hear another girl murmur, amazement in her voice. I just blush, _really dad? You had to show up now? _Because_ I'm not embarrassed enough already?_ Just as I'm wondering why the God of the Seas is standing silently in the center of a ballroom, Aphrodite appears. Out of nowhere. Smiling and looking prettier than even Blake, which is saying someone. Then Zeus.

"What the -" I hear Charlie, a son of Ares, gasp. When the sons of Ares gasp, you know there's some shocking stuff going on.

Suddenly, the stage is filled with Olympian Gods, the entire council of 12 plus Hades has arrived. On my birthday. During my party.


	4. Just a Dream?

"We have an announcement. Unlike my brother's child who was unready at his 18th birthday, you are both prepared to fulfill your destinies. Rylie, although you're not my child, you are first." I could hear the contempt in Zeus' booming voice. This was now 100x more frighting that finding out Blake was pregnant. "You shall be as you are, the Goddess of Dramatic Love, Intrigue and Gossip." He continued, shocking me. _Dramatic love? Intrigue? Gossip?_ "Blake: you are as you always have been; the Goddess of Perfectionism, Competition and Confidence. But that isn't all." _That's not all? WHAT ELSE IS THERE?_ I wasn't overly surprised by Blake's godly powers, they were really her.

"It is time you learned of the plans we have." Apollo steps forward from the crowd of Olympian Gods that were oddly grouped in the center of our ballroom.

"We set a mission out as a test

The three chosen were sent on a quest

We have reached a time where we must leave

We've grown tired of Earth, on the 21st eve

On the mark of the day these godlings were born

New gods shall rise and old will be forlorn

With you we place our powers, beware

They come with a risk, be sure to take care

The God of leadership and power has made a decree

his daughter Blake shall fulfill destiny

For God the seas and God of the storm

Rylie, his daughter, shall take up the form

The decision of Hades, God of the dead has been made

Zander, will be a protector of each Shade

As for the rest, new powers to share

As I call out your name, come into our care

To Danielle we give all the powers that grow

To Caleb we gift the Sun Chariot and the gift of the Arts

To Devyn we present the Moon Chariot and the powers of Archery

To Lizzie we give intelligence and creativity

To Chance we give powers over what he already has; parties and drinking

To Michael we give Battle Strategy and War

To Warner we gift Athletics and Thievery

To Wade; Communication and Technology

To Andrew we gift the first powers of homosexual relations and poetry

To Lydia we present powers of Love and Beauty

These Twelve and Zander will replace us in 3 years time

The gods of old will leave this earth

And you shall rule this hearth."

Like._ What? What what what what what? **What?**_

"Ooh, that is fabulous!" I hear a voice call out, Andrew. Why am I not surprised that he's the first to respond? But seriously are these Gods trusting_ Blake_ with supreme power? Not that I don't love her... but.. Blake? I share a look of shock with Blake before falling back into oblivion, not noticing as Blake did the same; both of us fallin unconscious and heading straight down.


End file.
